Liquid fuel control for hot water heaters



N0v`. 7, 1944. J, BREESE 1 2,361,913

LIQUID FUEL CONTROL FOR HT WATER HEATERS Filed June 26, 1942 fnv??? for9 .jzereense @Mmm- 1 mixture with the air admitted Patented Nov. 7, 1944'mourn FUEL ooN'rnoL Fon. nor WATER nEs'rEas James L. Breese, Santa hFc.N. Mex., assigner to Oil Devices, Santa Fe, N. Mex., a limitedpartnership of Illinois Application June 26, 1942, Serial No. 448,664 4claims. (ci. zas- 33) My invention relates to animprovement in liquidfuel controls for hot water heaters, and

, has for one purpose the provision of a liquid fuel control whichresponds directly to the heat of the water in the heater.

Another purposev is the provision of a simplifled design of controls inwhich the fuel varies directly in relation to the heat of a lowerportion ofthe tank of a hot water heater.

Othr purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecication.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing wherem:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section with parts in elevation;

Fig. 2 is anenlarged-vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.- 2; and f Fig. 4 is asection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

` Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specificationand drawing.

`understood that any suitable upper connection,

not herein shown, may also be employed whereby the space B between thecylinders I and 2 is enclosed to serve as a hot water heating andstorage tank. It will be understood that any suitable connections notherein shown may be employed for admitting cold water to thetank and forwithdrawing hot water therefrom for use.

I illustrate as heating means a burner rpot 4, having a'plurality ofprimary air inlet apertures 5 in .thet side wall thereof and an upwardlyconcave bottom 6, adapted to receive a liquid fuel supply along the fuelline 1. Any suitable supply means for secondary air may be employed. Iillustrate for example a plurality of secondary air inlet apertures 8`adjacent the top of the pot 4. 9 is any suitable flame ring having acentral aperture I0 aligned with the interior of the inner cylinder 2.

It will be understood that liquid fuel supplied along the line I isvalporized within the pot by the heat of combustion and forms a primarythrough the primary inlets 5. 'Ihis primary mixture is completed by thesecondary air supplied, for example, through the air inlets 8, and thecompleted mixture burns with a flame which extends substantiallyupwardly into the space C within-'the cylinder 2. The combustion takingplace in the space C serves to heat the wall 2, and thus the waterwithin the space B.

II indicates any suitable float chamber. will be understood that aconventional float structure may be employed, the details of which formnd4 part of the present invention and are not shown herein. It will beunderstood that such a float valve structure, or any other suitablemeans, may be employed for maintaining a constant level of liquid fuelin the oat chamber I I. However, in order to control the outflow ofliquid fuel from the chamber II along the line l, to the bottomv 6 ofthe burner pot 4, I provide an outlet element I2, which includes a fixedvalve surface I3, to which is opposed a movable valve I4 mounted on avalve stem I5, thevalve stem being guided in and longitudinally movablein a sleeve I6, which may form part of the member I2. Fuel apertures I'Iare provided in the member I2, I6, located below the normal level of thefuel withinthe oat' chamber II.

I8 is a. spring tending normallyy to expand and to raise the stem I5,and thus to move the valve element I4 toward open position. The springis compressed between the bottom abut'- ment or shoulder I9 on themember I6, and the abutment ring 20 mounted on an upper reduced, screwthreaded portion 2| of the stem I5 and held in position for example. bythe nut 22. The

upper end 2| of the valve stem extends upwardly through an aperture 23in a supporting plate 24 vsecured to the top of the float chamber II. Itabuts against the lower arm of a bell crank lever 25, which is pivoted,as at 26, for example upon ears 21 upwardly extending from the plate 24.The upper arm of the bell crank lever 25 abuts against the lower end ofa bimetal strip 28, the upper end of whichis secured, as

at 29, to the interior of `a housing 30, which ris` supported on themember 24 and may be secured, if desired, in any suitable fashion to theouter face 'of the wall I of thetankB. It will be understood that thehousing 30 has no inner wall, so thatthe bimetal 28 is directly exposedto heat radiated from the wall I. 'I'he bimetal may be flexed oradjusted, for example, by a set screw II mounted in any suitablethreaded sleeve I2 of the housing SII. l

It will be understood that the spring I8 tends to move the valve I4towards open position and to permit fuel to flow through the aperturesI1 and along the line 1 to the bottom 6 ofthe burner pot 4. When thewater in the tank B is cold, the bimetal 28 is flexed toward the left,referring to the position of the parts as shown in Fig. 2, permitting amaximum flow of liquid fuel. This flow may be adjusted manually byrotation of the set screw 3I. As the temperature of the water in thetank B increases, the lower end of the bimetal 28 flexes toward theright, referring to the position of the parts in Fig. 2, and through thebell crank lever depresses the valve I5 and moves it toward closedposition. In practice it may be advisable to so adjust the parts thatthe valve will never be completely closed, although the setting oradjustment of the parts depends upon the needs of the particular heaterwith which it is used.

It will be understood, however, that the rate of flow of liquid fuel tothe pot is varied in response to changes in the temperature of the waterin the tank B, and thus to changes in the temperature of the exterior ofthe tank wall I.

The assembly herein shownmay be secured to the tank in any mannerdesired, but I illustrate a bracket 50 mounted on the exterior of thehousing I and including an outwardly extending arm 5I preferablysubstantially horizontal. The float chamber I I may be directlysupported thereupon, preferably in such fashion that it'can be slippedin and out.y I may for example employ a bottomv flange or plate 52,mounted on or associated with the chamber II, which may slide on or overthe bracket arm 5I and which may be held against undesired movement, forexample, by securing members 53.

It is, of course, advantageous to have a snug t between the housing 3|]and the Wall of the tank I, and any suitable additional securing meansmay be employed, for example any suitable strap not herein shown forholding the housing 30 against a face of the tank I. In the form hereinshown, however, it is thought that a suiciently close connection may beobtained by the structure shown at the bottom of Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and shown a practicaland operativedevice, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size,shape, number and disposition of parts without departing-from the spiritof my invention. l

I claim:

1. In a unitary liquid fuel control for a hot Water heater having agenerally upright water enclosing wall, a control unit and meansv for`mounting it as a unit on said wall, said unit including a floatchamber, a. housing unitary With --th'float chamber. a liquid fuel pipeextending A -froirf` the float chamber to a burner, a movable yvalve"member adapted to control the flow of liquid through said fuel pipe,yielding means tending normally to move said valve member toward onelimit of its movement, and means in said housing, adapted to move saidvalve member against said yielding means in response to predeterminedtemperatureconditions of the upright wall, including a lever, pivoted insaid housing, having one arm cooperating with said movable yvalve memberand having another arm, and a bimetallic strip, unitary with said arm,located generally vertically above the float chamber and in closeproximity to the face of said upright wall.

'2. In a unitary liquid fuel control for a hot water heater having agenerally upright water enclosing wall, a control unit and means forsecuring it as a unit to said wall, said unit including a float chamber,a liquid fuel pipe extending from the float chamber to a burner, amovable valve member adapted to control the flow of liquid through saidfuel pipe, yielding means tending normally to move said valve membertoward one limit of its movement, and means adapted to move said valvemember against said yielding means in response to predeterminedtemperature conditions of the upright wall, including a bimetallic striplocated generally vertically above the float chamber and in close pioximity to the face of said upright wall.

3. In a unitary liquid fuel control for a hot water heater having agenerally upright Water enclosing wall, a control unit and means forsecuring it as a unit to said wall, said unit including a float chamber,a liquid fuel pipe extending from thefioat chamber 'to a burner, amovable valve member adapted to control the flow of liquid through saidfuel pipe, yielding means tending normally to move said valve membertoward one limit of its movement, and means adapted to move said valvemember against said yielding means in response to predeterminedtemperature conditions of theupright wall, including a bimetallic striplocated generally vertically above the float chamber and in closeproximity to the face of said upright wall, and housing means about theupper portion of said float chamber and about said bimetallic strip,said housing means having an open side adapted to be closed by saidupright Wall when the control unit is mounted on said Wall.

4. In a unitary liquid fuel control for a hot water heater having agenerally upright Water enclosing wall, a control unit and means formounting it as a unit ony said wall, said unit including a floatchamber, a housing unitary with the float chamber, a liquid fuel pipeextending from the float chamber to a burner, a movable valve memberadapted to control the flow of liquid through said fuel' pipe, yieldingmeans tending normally to move said valve member toward one limit of itsmovement, and means in said housing, adapted to move said valve memfber'against said yielding means in response to predetermined temperatureconditions of the upright Wall, including a lever, pivoted in saidhousing, having one arm cooperatingwith said movable valve member andhaving another arm, and a bimetallic strip, unitary with said arm,located generally vertically above the float chamber and in closeproximity to the face of said upright wall, and means for adjusting theresponse `of said blmetallic strip to temperature changes.

JAMES L. BRnEsE.

